Yvie’s fabulous footwear delivers #Get Checked campaign message

More people are surviving cancer than ever before, largely thanks to early detection – the earlier it is found, the easier it is to treat.

But there are around 1000 deaths in Scotland every year that could be avoided if survival rates matched the best in Europe.

#GetChecked is a national drive from the Scottish Government and Cancer Research UK to encourage more people to get unusual or persistent changes to their body checked sooner rather than later, in a bid to boost cancer survival rates.

The idea behind the campaign is to make every day check patterns synonymous with finding cancer early.

It aims to ensure that every time someone sees ‘check’ they think about visiting their GP, attend a screening when invited or encourage a loved one to do so.

Organisations and people the width and breadth of the country are proudly displaying colourful checks – in-store, at their workplace or, fashionably, on themselves!

Among them is Jacqueline Kay, from Cumbernauld, who was given the all clear from a rare form of cancer, Myxoid Liposarcoma, in October 2015.

Jacqueline (46) was diagnosed after her GP checked a lump that looked like a burn blister on her thigh.

She said: “I feel lucky that my cancer was caught early and hadn’t spread.

“It was isolated around the lump, so was removed through surgery last August.

“I didn’t think that the silly wee innocuous lump could be anything to be concerned about so it was a huge shock.

“If it hadn’t looked so unsightly, I might have left it but, because it wasn’t going away, I thought I better get it checked by my GP.

“I would say to anyone go and get checked. The chances are it won’t be anything to worry about. But, if like me, it’s something serious, then it’s better that it’s caught early.”

The Voice coach Yvie Burnett, whose father died of cancer in 1992, is also backing the campaign.

She said: “I’m passionate about what #GetChecked aims to do.

“I’m proudly wearing checks and I hope others across the country will too.”